This author definitly has a way with words and action scenes flow quite well. I flew through this and that's a huge positive as I'm naturally a slower reader. However, the plot of this book could have spanned another book or two, and the world building potential was left on the table. That said, it's a satisfying conclusion to a unique story and readers of the first books in the trilogy should definitely finish it up.
Full review to come on YouTube.

The Worst of All Possible Worlds by Alex White

One of the best parts of long-haul storytelling, something that book series and TV shows have the opportunity to do that their more self-contained counterparts often don't, is the ability to play out character relationships over the long haul. Sometimes that's a relatively static process, trying to maintain a roughly consistent dynamic within a set of characters while balancing the stories on top of it. Sometimes, it makes space for lots of big reversals and redemptions and splinter arcs which keep the drama levels high while enabling the characters to react to events as they happen. And sometimes, you get a crew or a found family that just gets cosier and more enjoyable to spend time with the longer a series goes on. That's how I feel about Alex White's trilogy-ending The Worst of All Possible Worlds, which brings the adventures of Nilah, Boots, Orna and the crew of the Capricious to a close in an adventure that's fast paced, high stakes and full of character moments that I really enjoyed (the wedding being a particular highlight, because who doesn't enjoy a good spaceship wedding?)

The other great thing about this series - covered in my longer reviews of its two predecessors - is how seamlessly it blends magic into a fighty shooty space opera. Almost everyone in the Salvagers universe has some kind of magic power (and not having magic is a significant disability in a world where a lot of technology is built around it, as Boots can attest) but the way these range from small abilities like being able to keep things clean, right up to control over space and time, makes the things involving people who can do the latter legitimately terrifying and unpleasant for everyone whose powers are more modest. Even more than its predecessors, The Worst of All Possible Worlds seems to lean in to an "age of arcanum gone to space" feel, particularly given the quest objective in this one (which I won't spoil if you haven't picked up the series yet).

The Salvagers series might not be as flashily extraordinary as some of its peers on the space opera shelf, but it more than holds its own as an adventure that blends space opera with fantasy tropes. The Worst of All Possible Worlds really sticks the landing for these characters too, and I'm very glad I stuck it out for the full trilogy.

4.5.
<u> <b>Review for <i>The Worst of All Possible Worlds</i> by Alex White</u> </b>

<u> <b>Thank you so much to Orbit for sending me an e-copy of this to read and review! All opinions are my own.</u> </b>

<b>Trigger Warnings (TW):</b> For violence, murder, and fighting, talk of struggling with drinking, smoking.

<u> <b>Summary: </u> </b>
<b> <i>“The greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series.

The crew of the legendary Capricious may have gone legitimate, but they're still on the run.

With devastatingly powerful enemies in pursuit and family and friends under attack planetside, Nilah and Boots struggle to piece together rumors of an ancient technology that could lead to victory.

Ensnared by the legend of Origin, humanity's birthplace, and a long-dead form of magic, the Capricious takes off on a journey to find the first colony ship...and magic that could bring down gods.”</b>


<u> <b>My Thoughts </u> </b>
First off, from start to finish this is one of the most satisfying and action-packed series I have ever read.
White creates some of the most endearing and frustrating characters that I’ve ever come to love. From the first chapter of book one, I was absolutely captivated. These books hit the ground running and rarely ever stop, and when they do, it’s usually for a touching or important scene between characters. I’ve grown to care for these characters so deeply, and I loved watching their relationships grow throughout the series, because they were so easy to relate to and understand.

Not to mention the <i>action</i>!
We follow the crew of the Capricious throughout their treasure hunting and badassery across the galaxy. This series has a beautiful blend of science fiction (spaaaace) as well as a fantastical magic system that I loved learning new facets of in each installment.

I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Boots and Kin, and watching this ragtag crew grow to be one of (if not) the best found family I’ve ever read. I’m always nervous for finales to series or trilogies, and this one did not disappoint whatsoever. I’ll be pushing this series onto many people from here on out.


<b> <u>Overall (TLDR)</b> </u>
If you’re looking for a page turning adventure with amazing characters and an immersive world and magic system, I highly recommend this series. You’ll grow to love the characters immensely and <i>have</i> to know how it all ends up.
Alex White has shot up onto my list of “must buy” authors, because they stole my heart with this series and these characters.


Thanks again to Orbit for sending me a copy, I’m so happy to have read this!

Go read this, and then find me on Instagram and Twitter!
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I gotta hand it to Alex White, the quality of each book in The Salvagers series has noticeably improved, and it started at a pretty high mark. Today we will be talking about the third and final installment of the trilogy, The Worst of All Possible Worlds. On top of White continuing their trend of extremely verbose but super cool names, they have managed to write an explosive and climactic conclusion the likes of which I have not read for a while. Usually, finale books in trilogies are hard to talk about due to spoilers, but I have so many nice things to say about this book that this review essentially wrote itself.

If you are just hearing about this series for the first time, please go read my reviews of either book one (A Big Ship At The Edge Of The Universe) or book two (A Bad Deal For The Whole Galaxy) and get started – you will not regret it. For everyone else, strap the heck in. Our story picks up very soon after the end of Galaxy, and the crew of the Capricious is feeling pretty worn down and wrung out despite their massive success in book two. They’re hurting from their losses, and though they have made noticeable progress against their nebulous foe – the antagonist is still going strong. Unfortunately, the big bad guy of the series has decided the time for stealth is over and launches a full-scale invasion with overwhelming firepower against the known universe. The crew quickly realize that there is no way to currently beat back the rising tide of enemies. So, as usual, the Capricious sets out to find a lost legend – Origin, humanities cradle of life – in the hopes it might have something that can win the battle.

I was actually recently talking about this series when I wrote my guide to Science Fantasy. As I mentioned in that piece, The Salvagers is a beautiful action-packed fusion of a world that combines magic and technology for astoundingly cool results. I also mention in that piece that there is nothing I have read that comes close to my favorite work of science fantasy, Heroes Die,… until now. Worlds has this perfect fusion of both fantasy and sci-fi that work together in concert to build a symphony of awesome. The biggest theme throughout the series is using historical knowledge and research (fantasy) to innovate powerful leaps forward in technology (science-fiction) – and it works to blend the two genres wonderfully. But, the use of this theme is a wonderful element that all three books have – so let’s focus on the two huge things that Worlds’ nails in particular.

The first is blockbuster action. White’s author voice and prose are explosive and vivid, and Worlds is as exciting and pulse-pounding as an out of control rollercoaster that is on fire. I was initially a little worried based on the back blurb that makes the book sound like it’s going to be a McGuffin fetch quest to Deus ex the conflict away. It is nothing close to that, with Worlds containing action sequence after action sequence, set piece after set piece. This book made me feel damn alive. If you are not crouched over the pages reading while holding the book in a vice grip, I am going to recommend someone check you for a pulse.

The second thing Worlds does right is the emotional pay-off. Now back when I read book one three years ago, one of my major criticisms of White is that their writing felt somewhat overemotional. I love huge emotional scenes, but it felt like White was putting the cart before the horse and trying to get the reader to feel massively connected to these characters that the reader just hadn’t spent enough time with. Yet, that same weakness in book one is now a massive strength in the finale. The emotional payoff in Worlds’ is like winning a lottery. There are so, many, good, moments of heart touchingly beautiful human connection, love, despair, and everything in between. White is really good at rewarding readers for putting the time into watching their characters grow and evolve, and Worlds is a hell of a closer and should be used as a case study in how to end a series.

I have zero criticisms of The Worst of All Possible Worlds, and it’s so good it might elevate The Salvagers to one of my highest recommended series ever. My only complaint is I felt there were a few too many unanswered questions at the end of Worlds, especially if White doesn’t plan to return to the world any time soon. I can say with confidence and ease that this will be one of the strongest science fiction and fantasy books of 2020. Go read this series right now.

Rating: The Worst of All Possible Worlds – 10/10
-Andrew

DISCLAIMER: I received an advance reader copy (ARC) of this novel to review on behalf of Grimdark Magazine. While this book, arguably, may not fall exactly into the mould of that genre, I am certain grimdark fans will appreciate its content and so have reviewed it, regardless.

Alex White concludes their hit Salvagers trilogy in spectacular fashion in, The Worst Of All Possible Worlds. Picking up months after the events of A Bad Deal For The Whole Galaxy, we find the intrepid crew of the Capricious still hot on the trail of the remaining Gods of the Harrow.

With nothing less than the fate of all life in the universe at stake, the gang must leverage their now considerable resources and elite proficiencies to once again unravel an ancient mystery and confront the elusive - and terrifyingly powerful - cabal of sorcerers responsible for the destruction of their home world.

Keeping in form with its predecessors, The Worst Of All Possible Worlds is a rollicking blend of eye-popping action, heartfelt drama and endearing comedy. White will have you laughing out loud in one chapter and tears welling in your eyes the next, interspersing such moments with thrill-ride sequences boasting set pieces so massive as to make a Death Star blush.

Darker in tone and more complex in structure relative to the previous entries, the series conclusion is, for me, easily the finest of the trilogy. Notably, the writing itself is at its best in this novel; verbose without pretension, vividly descriptive despite not wasting words, White presents a stellar example of high-paced storytelling, deftly executed.

Characterization was noticeably improved as well, at least in comparison to the middle book, which suffered in that regard. This time around, White wisely chooses to mostly forgo creating interpersonal conflicts between the characters, in favour of letting the drama of the story unfold and having personalities reveal and evolve in reaction, which felt considerably more organic than the previous effort and resulted in a heightened emotional connection to the story.

If forced to scrutinize for complaints, I would say the dialogue could at times feel sophomoric, though this was also frequently an endearing aspect. Specifically, the point-of-view character, Nilah Brio’s manner of speaking, grew somewhat laborious to endure, and at times felt more like schtick than genuine conversation. Another minor blemish is the considerable length of the action sequences; while certainly exciting and well-realized, I did sometimes find my mind wandering, eager to proceed to the next stage of the plot, as such moments dragged on.

Nevertheless, and despite some issues that plagued the second novel, this trilogy was an absolute joy to experience and The Worst Of All Possible Worlds is its crowning achievement. While undeniably derivative, I would contend that the quality and ingenuity of this work transcends, and in many ways surpasses, its inspirations to create something unique and wonderful that you should absolutely go and enjoy. TL;DR? Firefly meets Final Fantasy...do yourself a favour and pick up all three.

Well, it's happened. THE WORST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS has soared to the very top, the apex, the peak of my favorite science fictions of the year, and, as a result, Alex White has permanently stolen my heart. If you see them, tell them I don't need it back.

THE WORST, which I will call this book for the remainder of this glowing review, is the incredibly satisfying wrap-up for the Salvagers series and Capricious crew. In THE WORST, this ragtag bunch must fight the final big baddies: Nilah's super-evil former racing coach, and the uber-god himself, Henrick Witts. This book has everything for fans of space opera and fantasy, mashed up together in one technically accomplished package: found family, love, battles, blood, revenge, and--of course--the biggest treasure hunt ever: looking for an entire planet.

There wasn't one moment in THE WORST where I wasn't anxious for what comes next, flipping pages like candy, utterly addicted. Cordell really shone in this book; getting to know him more was a delight, as was seeing Boots getting the <REDACTED FOR SPOILERS>. I have to compliment White, especially, for chapter nineteen; lots of happy tears from this queer reader. I do believe I'll be rereading that scene for years to come.

Thank you, Orbit, for entrusting me with the honor of shouting from the rooftops and throwing this book at everyone. Keep me in mind for Alex White's next trilogy.

The Worst of All Possible Worlds is the third and final book in Alex White's space opera "The Salvagers" trilogy, which began with A Big Ship at the End of the Universe (Reviewed here) and continued with "A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy" (Reviewed here). I enjoyed the first book in this series a good deal, but really loved the 2nd. Both novels are fun space opera romps, featuring a disparate cast of oddballs each with a different magical power and some really fun dialogue - the books have been compared in reviews and the press clippings to "Firefly" and the comparison actually works. So I was really really excited to get an advance copy of this novel and to dig into it.



And well, The Worst of All Possible Worlds may be the best in the trilogy, and if it isn't, it's pretty damn close. The characters remain tremendous - particularly Boots and Nilah, our two main point of view characters - as they face their toughest test yet, a really fun new character is introduced and the dialogue remains absolutely fantastic, causing me to crack up repeatedly, while occasionally saying something poignant to go along with it all. The result was so much fun - even when the plot gets very very dark - that I simply could not stop reading, and before I knew it, I'd finished this roughly 600 page book in a single day. So yeah, highly recommended.



More specifics after the jump:





-------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-------------------------------------------------------

The crew of the Capricious has managed to perform the impossible repeatedly - defeating a number of the "Gods" of the Harrow, who sucked out an entire planet's magic to power their own. But the Gods' leader, Henrick Witts, is still out there with a number of his conspirators, and the crew's government contacts have made it clear that Witts has been building something huge and powerful for his grand schemes to remaking all life in the galaxy.



And sure enough, after one of the Gods' children is executed, they strike: with one god attacking Nilah's loved ones and Witt himself launching a deadly assault, it seems all may be lost: until the crew discovers ties between Witt and the secret of Origin: the place humanity and all its power once came from. It's a place Boots - former treasure hunter herself - once thought only as legendary, but it clearly marks the only chance the crew, and perhaps the Galaxy has at stopping Witt.



But to get there, the crew will have to face not just the gods, but also the forces that have conspired to keep Origin hidden for generations - forces armed with strange powerful magic like they have never seen before. And that's to say nothing of the crew's own internal problems, as the pressure of the situation, and the danger to all they love, threatens to crush them with despair. It will take everything they have, all the resources they can find, and more in order to even have a chance......or the galaxy may fall.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As with the prior two novels, The Worst of All Possible Worlds alternates telling its story between the perspectives of Boots and Nilah. The two have come a long long way from where they were at the start of the trilogy: Nilah is no longer than naive young girl - now toughened up quite a bit after all their experiences, even if she is a lot more compassionate than some of the crew; meanwhile Boots is no longer the extreme cynic scrapping through life and looking for peace - to the point where Captain Cordell even turns to her as his first choice for being his new XO, to help motivate the crew. At the same time, it's kind of a weird choice to stick with here, as several other characters have key roles in this novel, and we're dealing more with an ensemble here than just those characters' journeys, even if Nilah in particular has a good bit of the spotlight here. I could do my usual bit in these reviews and talk about how great each of the old characters are and how they've changed in detail - Nilah the most - but honestly, you should know that already through two books.



What this book definitely does do is provide new circumstances in its plot to put these characters through the ringer, forcing them to make choices and character developments that are often very extreme. Thankfully again the old characters are terrific and White does a fantastic job writing the dialogue and actions between them. This is some of the snappiest and most entertaining dialogue you'll find anywhere, to liven up a plot that often sees innocent people die in horrible ways and some very serious themes about power and what people will do to gain and control it. Especially when you add in the one prominent new character, a being named Devil who is an absolute riot of laughs, this book never ceases to be tremendously fun and enticing from beginning to the very end.



It's a plot that wraps up the narrative fairly well, with a lot of very solid plot twists from time to time, and surprisingly leaves a lot of potential sequel hooks wide open. A narrative featuring two of the main cast comes to a head in the finale, but the conclusion of that plot thread leaves open a number of questions that the book skips out on answering. Similarly, not only by my count should there probably be at least a few surviving Gods out there (admittedly I lost count at some point), but there are two new entities introduced in this book with mysterious designs upon the galaxy and mysterious means, and the book leaves them still out there by the end. This is not to say the book isn't satisfying in its conclusion - it's a very solid and enjoyable conclusion for this trilogy and I am absolutely not disappointed. I just hope the open plot threads mean we might get more in this universe in the future....



So yeah, I'm kind of sorry I don't have more to say on this one - I really could go on about the old characters and the development and whatnot. But honestly, this is more of the same great fun we saw earlier, taken to maybe another level - I think this is funnier than the earlier books at times, and honestly the weakest part to me of the prior books was understanding really the romance between Nilah and Orna, and we're past that point here, so whatever I don't need to worry about how we got here, and the developed romance here works fairly well. So yeah, read this series, you won't be disappointed.